Current Trips
Papua New Guinea 2026
Dates: May 25 - June 30, 2026*
Cost: $6,000* from Los Angeles International Airport
Application deadline: March 1, 2026
Brazil 2026
Dates: June/July 2026*
Cost: $5,500* from Chicago O'Hare Airport
Application deadline: March 1, 2026
Note
Our Program
Interface is a five- to six-week college-level missions course in Papua New Guinea or Brazil.
Discover what cross-cultural church planting is all about by learning from experienced missionaries and interacting with indigenous people. As part of an international team, experience life where an indigenous church has been established.
Interface Brazil:
Classes
In addition to morning classes, you’ll spend time with national language helpers learning Portuguese. You will use the same techniques that missionaries use to learn words and phrases through study and shared activities.
Activities
Some activities that you may be involved in include attending a local church, visiting a local farm in Brazil's agricultural region or attending a local soccer game.
You will interact with and establish relationships with the Brazilian students of the Shekinah Missionary Training Center where you will be staying for much of your time. They will help you with learning Portuguese while you help them with their English.
Other group activities include sports and fellowship with the Shekinah students, walks to town for ice cream, acai, snacks and churrasco!
Evenings
The evenings are spent getting to know each other and exchanging stories. The staff will listen as you process all you're learning and answer your questions. Evening classes are often held, and weekly bonfires unite the group through worship and sharing.
Extra Excursions
Take a boat on the Amazon River to visit an MK (missionary kid) school in the jungle.
Indigenous Side Trip
Experience missionary life in a remote area while interacting with the missionaries and indigenous people. Hear another language and taste another culture. Worship with indigenous believers. You'll see a church plant in progress as a culmination of your Interface experience.
Interface Papua New Guinea:
Classes
In addition to morning classes, you’ll spend time with national language helpers learning the local trade language, Tok Pisin. Learn words and phrases through study and shared activities like working in the garden or learning a local craft.
Activities
“Village exposure” is often available depending on local happenings. By interacting with the people, playing with the kids and practicing language skills, you’ll experience more of the culture hands-on.
You will interact with and establish relationships with the students of Ramu Valley Academy, a middle/high school for indigenous students from the Itutang tribe. They will help you with learning Tok Pisin while you help them with their English.
Other group activities include sports, a day trip to town to barter for souvenirs, and traditional meals.
Evenings
The Interface staff often open their homes to students in the evenings. Spend time getting to know each other; exchange stories. They’ll listen as you process all you’re learning and answer your questions. Evening classes are often held, and weekly bonfires unite the group through worship and sharing.
Indigenous Side Trip
Experience missionary life in a remote area while interacting with the missionaries and indigenous people. Hear another language and taste another culture. Worship with indigenous believers. You’ll see a church plant in progress as a culmination of your Interface experience.
Field Support Internships in Papua New Guinea
An additional two to three week internship at Interface is available for those who qualify.
Course Curriculum
Course requirements include written reports, reading course texts and related literature, language and culture elicitation and filing, and memorization of practical expressions.
Motivation for Missions
(5 hrs.) What is God doing? How can you fit into His plans? Finding direction and His will for your life becomes clearer as you focus on His eternal purposes.
Evangelism & Discipleship
(25 hrs.) Do you know how to effectively communicate the gospel with an animist? You’ll hear how missionaries present the Gospel in an indigenous church planting setting using a chronological approach.
Cross-Cultural Communication
(32 hrs.) Convinced you can’t learn a foreign language? You’ll surprise yourself. Classroom instruction followed by immediate application in the village provides an ideal learning environment. This includes direct language and culture gathering experience.
Mission Methods
(9 hrs.) Church planting cross-culturally is a huge job! Careful planning is required. You’ll be shown the methods missionaries use today to keep on track. Language-learning goals, surveys, strategy statements, church planting models, linguistics, literacy, Bible translation and more are covered.
Support Ministry
(7 hrs.) You'll hear about the many support roles needed to keep missionaries in their church planting locations such as missionary kid teachers, dorm parents, pilots, accountants, field leaders, doctors, nurses, buyers, printers, IT professionals and others who faithfully work behind-the-scenes to further the gospel.
Finances in Missions
(2 hrs.) Is it possible to stay out of debt and get an education? What does it cost to live as a missionary? This is your opportunity to receive biblically based, practical advice from experienced missionaries.
Communicating Missions
(6 hrs.) Missionaries are an extension of the local church. In order to build effective partnerships with churches and individuals, you must first learn how to communicate well.
Critical Issues in Missions
(6 hrs.) Are the unreached really lost? What is the missionary call? What roles are there for women or singles in missions? These and other frequently asked questions are discussed.
Missionary Training
(3 hrs.) What options are available to you? What are mission agencies looking for in a missionary candidate?
Indigenous Side Trip
Toward the end of the course, you’ll go to another remote location where a church has been planted. You’ll observe cultural events, practice culture and language acquisition skills, and worship with indigenous believers.
Interface Staff
As you interact with down-to-earth missionaries, you’ll get a snapshot of how God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.
Except for the indigenous language speakers-teachers, all teaching personnel are members of Ethnos360 or their global partners. These instructors have completed the full course of missionary preparation required by the mission (typically four years) in addition to university and graduate level degrees in some cases, as well as extensive first-hand experience in the topics they cover. Resident Ethnos360 personnel in PNG and Brazil are included in the teaching staff, addressing topics pertaining to areas of ministry in which they specialize and may include church planters, pilots, accountants, IT professionals, medical professionals, teachers and Bible translators.
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